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Whispers of Victory
'Section Summaries' 'Two Birds, No Stones' Severa & Davus, In-Between Moments “Who are you?” Davus was angry, but his tone was far removed from his traditional voice of anger. It was more pained, a denialists voice. Even seeing someone that looked like him brought anger. Despite being brothers created by Ratnis, even Sirius had not shared the same appearance as Davus. And yet here stood a man, a being, going by Davie, that shared Davus’ face. “That is the wrong question.” Severa answered on his behalf. “It doesn’t matter who he is, or who he was, or who he will be. Just as you believe it doesn’t matter who you used to be.” “But it does matter!” Davus shouted defiantly. “Not here.” Davie answered. He shared Davus’ voice as well, determined and powerful but projected with a potent subtlety, something Davus never had. Davus had trouble focusing on Davie. All around he saw ghost images, specters of others passing through the temple. He saw versions of himself, versions of his past enemies and allies, great battles and destruction of worlds. He felt himself being pulled towards it, catching only one more glimpse of Davie before completely tumbling into the flow of reality. And then he felt a hand gripping his arm, yanking him back to the hall of specters. It was the one with his face, Davie. He looked remorseful, filled with pity for Davus. “This place grants memories of past lives only when they are truly needed. Before this moment, it was not important to know who I was, it was not important to answer your question. But now I sense things have changed.” Davie’s gaze was unwavering. Davus suddenly wanted to look away, but felt locked in place. “We are of different worlds. The Davus I knew was my brother, a twin that was my equal and my opposite. He murdered me amidst a great war of elements, a single death in his murderous conquest. He held the power of the elemental stone of water, a titan of the land in an age of absolute destruction. I know not the ultimate fate of that world, but I know his fate was one of despair and sorrow. It was only in his death at the end that he realized the wasted potential, the pointlessness of his conquest.” “I am not that man.” Davus remained defiant. But he didn’t get a sense that Davie disagreed. It felt more like reassurance. He was being reminded that his new path, whether or not it was the right one, was more right than his old path. “But I am not some hero.” “Do you understand now?” Severa interrupted. For the first time ever, she looked like she had true empathy for Davus. He showed no external response but the quivering of his eyes. He did not want to answer, and did not need to. Severa’s question transformed to that of the rhetorical and silence settled in for a time. Davus suddenly wanted to ask Davie questions, know more, be more. But that desire alone meant that the reason for his visit to this place was over. The temple, the specters, and Davie all began to fade away. A whisper of Davie remained on the wind. “You have been granted a single gift by the Temple of Forever. You will be exactly where you need to be, when you need to be there...Do not waste it, for this gift will not be given twice.” Davus, Kakariko Village, Long Night 3 With the words faded fully on the wind, reality snapped back into place sharply. The sounds of both elemental screaming, and civilian screaming, could be heard. Always a storm, always destruction. For once when Davus joined in the destruction, it would be with the goal of stopping it. He smiled. “Severa.” His smiled dropped when he turned to her. She had helped him, but they would never be friends. They would be barely be allies, only for as long as was needed. It was okay. This was about more than that. “I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself.” Severa backed away from the destruction all around, finding a dark corner in the shadows to stay in. Several hundred feet away a battle waged between Taden and Polaris. The Temple and Davie had moved them from the mining facility to Kakariko. Davus felt inclined to do just what Severa said. Finally prove he was on the right side. Would do what was right. Taden had not seen him, and he now held Lynn hostage. Davus had always acted in chaos, disorder. Now he chose precision. With every bit of focus he had, he aimed a singular lightning bolt at the knife now held to Lynn’s throat by Taden. The bolt and Davus moved in unison to the point of the blue fire. The lightning cut a hole through the fire and Davus passed beyond the ring and stopped at its edge. The bolt continued onward, striking the knife away from Lynn and burning the ice off. Taden was forced back a few feet, and Davus moved from the blue fire ring to within a few feet of Taden. “What do you know of true hell?” Davus asked Taden. Lightning struck the ground all around them both, spraying red ice and brown earth into the air. Davus gestured towards Polaris. “I stayed with this one through thousands of years in hell itself. I’ve seen terrors that would send you crawling back to whatever ice hole you came back from. My name is Davus Fulmen...you know me, knew me as Fulmen the Feared. But the only ones now who should feel fear are my enemies.” Davus felt more powerful than ever before. Reborn with purpose. “You are outnumbered, Hothnight. Retreat.” 'Lynn Hothlight, Kakariko, Time' Her movements were exact. This was the moment, the chance. Polaris, Taden, herself... all together. Fate, it would seem. As Polaris showboated the battle, she moved as she had been trained, as she had lived her life. She moved knowing Taden wouldn't be fooled. And the moment came. A blast of Blue Flame. That familiar chill. A knife at her throat. “You should know better than to backstab a backstabber, especially one you trained.” The soft whisper of that most Hated creature, against her ear. So close. She almost had to fight to keep the exultant sense of victory tarnishing the expressionless mask of her face. And it all came crashing down. Unexpected interlopers, the hallmark of this whole damn war. Davus Fulmen, the Feared, acting as he did best: sewing chaos. Lightning struck, the Maskmaker's Knife jerked away from her throat, and with it went the frozen chill that dammed her mortality. Blood began to flow down her neck, pooling precariously in the hollow of her exposed collarbone before soaking into the torn fabric of her suit. Fulmen strode confidently through the Blue Fire, stalking his way to mere feet in front of Taden. “You are outnumbered, Hothnight. Retreat.” "No." Lynn spat, her voice low but projecting. "No retreat." She torqued her body, twisting at the waist. The rime cracked, and she screamed as it tore into her and away from her. "I know you better, now, Taden," she snarled through clenched jaw. With a force of will, her left leg shattered its confines, and Polaris' blood-rain made its best efforts to hide the result. "But you have forgotten..." a sharp hiss punctuated her words as she stepped forward onto her ragged foot, "... something about me!" The last word was screamed as her right leg broke free, and she stumbled at the effort, falling at Taden's feet. Her head lifted, tears unbidden welling up in her eyes. She grabbed his ankle, firmly but with the first signs of weakness from her injuries. She glared at Taden, and a seething roiling well of deep hatred burned behind her eyes. "I am Garo's Blessing." And she let go of the hold she had kept for so many months on the bubble of the Light Spirit's Blessing riding in her soul, that Blessing which had cushioned and protected her at times from the piece of Taden's own soul living in her. Finally, peace washed over Lynn Annei. She glowed from within, brighter and brighter, until blinding all those around her. And she focused that power into a single point, shaping it to a single purpose. She channeled the Blessing out through the hand which held firm to Taden, forcing its power into him.